Vice President Leni Robredo
If last year’s winners and also-runs in the Istorya ng Pag-asa (INP) Film Festival are anything to go by, this year’s entries to the second staging of the short documentary film competition will be more than stories of hope.
They will also be testaments to the courage, determination, resilience and indomitable spirit of the Filipino.
Istorya ng Pag-asa organizers expect to get, on or before the deadline of March 25, more than the 73 submissions they received last year.
An initiative of the office of Vice President Leni Robredo, the idea for INP, she said, was sparked by a forum on the theme, “Let’s Change the Conversation.”
She was struck by the earnestness of the young participants to move away from the prevailing negativity and viciousness in society and showcase the positive and inspirational.
“As a victim of viciousness myself, I thought I should help inspire hope,” Robredo said. The Vice President found “ang istorya ng bawat Pilipino ay istorya ng pag-asa” (every Filipino’s story is a story of hope). She said, “We went around the Philippines collecting stories of hope.”
The project evolved from a touring photo exhibit to a festival of three- to five-minute documentaries that feature people who have overcome challenges and difficulties to raise themselves from poverty, earn respect and admiration, and conquer their fears and feelings of inadequacy.
On the first anniversary of their travelling photo gallery last year, Robredo said they decided to mark the occasion with the INP film festival. The Vice President’s office partnered with Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) and the Film Development Council of the Philippines.
Although projects were modest, the festival helped encourage amateur and aspiring filmmakers. “We have a lot of filmmakers who need a break” and “more people now want to watch, instead of read,” she said.
Much like Robredo, who does not let her office’s meager funds and resources keep her from trying to help the marginalized, or people in the laylayan ng lipunan (fringes of society) as she calls them, the subjects of the films show that without help from the government, but through grit, determination and unwavering faith, people can achieve their goals.
Last year’s top winner, Florence Rosini’s “Ang Biyahe ni Marlon,” shines the spotlight on an Uber driver with Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. (This writer has actually been in the car driven by Marlon Fuentes, who is now with Grab, and found him to be more mindful of road signs and traffic rules than many Filipino drivers.)
Runner-up “Tagô” by Meg Seranilla is about a group of jazz artists determined to keep the music genre alive in the Philippines in a dilapidated old house that is falling apart.
A finalist in last year’s competition was about an Aeta who, despite being mocked for her dark skin and tight curls, managed to focus on her studies to become a licensed teacher.
Judging by last year’s submissions, INP seems to be shaping into the Filipino version, in film, of John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer-prize winning “Profiles in Courage.”
Robredo said there were so many inspiring, although sometimes heart-wrenching, stories last year that they decided to add more categories this year.
In addition to the top winners—best film, first runner-up and second runner-up—there would be five other awards: best director, best cinematography, best script, a People’s Choice Award and a special award from AFI.
First prize is P80,000, second prize is P50,000 and third prize is P30,000. Other awardees will also receive cash prizes.
Partner AFI will be showing the winners in Ayala theaters all over the country.
With INP, Robredo said, “We hope we could encourage [people] to talk about the good news, the positive, rather than negative things.”
Winners will be announced on April 30, and winners and finalists will be presented on June 8.
For contest mechanics and submission of entries, visit www.istoryangpagasa.ovp.gov.ph.